Home > Blog > Where Your Heel Bursitis Came From—and How to Treat It

163030886_HeelPainYou’ll want to take advantage of Blue Mountain Village free activities this summer, like the daily Columbia Guided Family Hikes. Meet outside Columbia sports store in the Village at 10:30 AM for a guided hike up Blue Mountain, great views of Georgian Bay, and a free ride down on the gondola. Your kids will love it! So will you, unless you happen to have foot pain from heel bursitis.

What causes this soreness at the back of your heel bone? It starts with a sac of fluid (bursa) designed to act as a cushion between your heel bone and Achilles tendon. It becomes inflamed when it is irritated by too much walking, running, or jumping. Not that those things are bad, unless you go overboard and try to do too much before your muscles and tendons are ready for it—like hiking up a mountain when all you’ve done for months is sit at a desk!

If you have pain behind your heel when you are active, and it is worse when standing on tiptoe, you may have bursitis. The skin there can turn red and feel warm, too. But since these symptoms could also be from other causes, come in and let us diagnose the exact problem.

Fortunately, bursitis responds well to non-invasive treatment like resting your foot, icing the area several times a day, and using an over-the-counter cushioned heel wedge to lessen the pressure on the bursa. We can also recommend the best pain reliever for your discomfort, or schedule an ultrasound treatment to relieve pain and speed up healing.

It may take a few weeks, but bursitis usually heals with proper treatment. That’s what you will find at Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic. We know feet, and we know how to fix what’s wrong. Whether that is training you in the proper form for exercising, showing you how to strengthen and stretch the Achilles tendon and ankle joint, or designing custom orthotics to help rebalance your foot and take the pressure off the bursa, you can count on us to do our best for you. Even with recovery time, you should be able to enjoy a hike up Blue Mountain before the season ends—hikes continue through September. Call our office in Collingwood, ON by dialing (705) 444-9929 or set up an appointment online today and say goodbye to heel pain.